After months of staff furloughs, financial strain and the executive director departing, the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, founded in 1971, is working to rebuild its operations and regain stability.
On Sept. 10 the center’s board of directors released a letter stating that Elisabeth Dabney, former executive director, would be “concluding her service” with the Northern Center. Five days later, the board issued a second message announcing that they would be placing their programming on pause. This included furloughing all four staff members.
The former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, William “Bill” Taylor, who served under President George W. Bush and as a chargé d'affaires to Ukraine during President Trump’s first term, spoke at a town hall on the Ukraine-Russia conflict at UAF in the Davis Concert Hall. In addition to explaining the historical context and background that led to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taylor gave insights into the current geopolitical situation, the progress of the war, and the recent Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage.
“Today is your day,” Sean Wise told a packed room of veterans and students at UAF’s Rasmuson Library Tuesday as veterans, students, and community members gathered for a Veterans Day celebration.
Pat Pitney, University of Alaska system president, announced her retirement Thursday morning in an email to UA students and staff. Pitney has been in this role since August 1, 2020.
Pitney was working as the financial director for the legislature when she got a call on a Thursday night five years ago.
Residents in Alaska’s Kuskokwim Delta were forced to leave their homes last month as ex-Typhoon Halong brought historic flooding and damaging winds to the region, webinar presenters said. Rick Thoman, climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness, and Ed Plumb, weather and flood hazards specialist at Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness, shared details about the storm’s impact and forecasts.
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins visited the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus to speak on his experiences with issues such as housing, coalition building, and population retention and how he handles all of those responsibilities now as the elected mayor.
With the arrival of winter, Alaska will see a significant decrease in daylight and temperatures. This increase in darkness can take a toll on the mental health of Alaskan residents. While life-long Alaskans may be accustomed to the lack of daylight, many still struggle with mental health during the long, dark days of winter.
The Alaska Behavioral Health Clinic has locations in Fairbanks and Anchorage, but it is their Fairbanks clinic that is helping to combat the seasonal mental health crisis.
The ASUAF meeting began with Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor of student affairs and enrollment management, coming in to talk and answer questions regarding the new student enrollment deposit.
Starting with the class of fall 2026, students will be asked to pay a deposit on their enrollment for the coming fall. Already enrolled students will not be affected by this deposit.
On Halloween, the University of Alaska Fairbanks women’s swim team had their third meet of the season, this time against Simon Fraser University. They competed against Simon Fraser again on Saturday, but lost both days, despite a great effort. The score on Halloween was 108 to 59, and the next day was 100 to 48.
On October 25 the Nanooks kicked off the basketball season by playing a scrimmage against alumni. The bleachers were packed with fans eager to get a first glimpse of the upcoming season and to watch former players return to the spotlight.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ rifle team started the season off with a bang on October 17 for their first match of the season. They competed against Ohio State at the E.F. Hortion rifle range in the Patty Center on the first day of the matchup, and at the Tanana Valley Sports Association for the second day.
A letter from the Alaska Press Club Board: We should not accept these actions by Carpenter Media as normal. They threaten the ability of journalists to serve as watchdogs for our communities.
We will always defend editorial independence, transparency and the right of Alaska’s journalists to do their work free from intimidation.
Over the past few years, Russian and Chinese incursions into U.S. territory have become more frequent and more brazen. On September 24, 2025, multiple Russian aircraft, including Tu-95 “Bear” long-range bombers and Su-35 fourth-generation fighters, breached the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Lil Jit: December 12, 2024 to September 18, 2025
On a cold winter night, with a sliver of moon high above, peeking through wisps of cloud, a small bundle of joy came into our lives. White as the snow beneath our feet, with eyes red like glowing embers, we gave him a name worthy of his spirit: Lil Jit.
Fireweed Collective Fairbanks released their voter guide for the 2025 Fairbanks North Star Borough Municipal Election.
I stepped onto the bridge beside the tall patch of fireweed blossoms, careful not to step in the reindeer scat lying in the brush, as the swirling river shimmered ahead beneath the hot July sun.
